Mike Lansing and Chris Cantwell named new associate directors

Lansing was named associate director for Safeguards and Security and Cantwell is associate director for Environment, Safety, Health & Quality.

February 26, 2009

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LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, February 26, 2009—Two new Laboratory associate directors were announced this week. Mike Lansing was named associate director for Safeguards and Security and James “Chris” Cantwell is associate director for Environment, Safety, Health & Quality. Lansing and Cantwell take over from Paul Sowa and Dick Watkins, respectively, who recently retired.

In his new role, Lansing will lead the Laboratory’s physical security, safeguards and emergency operations. Lansing has more than 30 years’ experience in nuclear, federal, and military security operations and in other disciplines, such as safety, training, and law enforcement. He is an experienced liaison with federal entities, including the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense.

Prior to joining the Laboratory, Lansing managed security operations at Babcock and Wilcox (BWXT) Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg, Virginia. Lansing led a 200-employee security force at this site, which is licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He oversaw protective force operations and training, managed the Emergency Operations Center, and ensured that staff met NRC security requirements.

From 2004 to 2007, Lansing worked at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, first as division training manager and later as deputy division manager of Safeguards and Security.

Lansing holds a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in history from Wheaton College in Illinois.

In addition to helping the Lab fulfill its environmental stewardship role, Cantwell will lead the Lab’s initiatives to protect the safety and health of its employees and that of residents of surrounding communities. Cantwell joined the Laboratory in 2006 and has led the Laboratory’s Environment, Safety, and Health Integration Office, where he was responsible for integrated work management and safety improvement initiatives, such as the Voluntary Protection Program, Human Performance Improvement, and Behavior Based Safety programs. He also was in charge of Environment, Safety, and Health training and the Laboratory’s Barrier Removal process.

Previously, Cantwell served at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as Quality Services Division director, and later as Safety Leadership Program director and Health and Safety Field Services group leader. From 1989 to 2000, Cantwell worked at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo as Environment, Safety and Health Support Services manager. Cantwell started his career as an industrial hygienist and bioenvironmental engineer with American Airlines.

Cantwell holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental health from Colorado State University and is currently completing his master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Walden University. He is a board-certified industrial hygienist and safety professional.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

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